World Report

Published Thursday, April 09, 2009

North Korea stages rally to celebrate rocket

SEOUL, South Korea -- Tens of thousands of North Koreans rallied Wednesday in Pyongyang to support Kim Jong Il as he embarks on his third term as leader and to celebrate a rocket launch that was criticized elsewhere as a violation of U.N. sanctions.

Kim was expected to attend a session of the North's rubber-stamp parliament Thursday and be re-elected as chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission in his first major public appearance since a reported stroke in August.

His re-election comes amid regional tension over the country's controversial rocket launch Sunday. North Korea claims it sent a satellite into space, but neighboring countries say nothing reached orbit and that the launch was really a test of its long-range missile technology.

The U.S., Japan and South Korea are leading a campaign in the U.N. Security Council to penalize the North.

100,000 Thais rally against king's adviser

BANGKOK -- About 100,000 protesters seeking to topple Thailand's government turned their wrath Wednesday on the 88-year-old top adviser to the country's revered king, accusing him of undermining democracy by orchestrating a pivotal 2006 coup.

Most of the protesters massed near the Bangkok residence of privy councilor Prem Tinsulanonda to demand he step down from his palace job for allegedly engineering the military's ouster of their hero, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

They also demanded that current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva quit his post.

Red-shirted protesters clapped and cheered as their leaders delivered fiery speeches to denounce Prem, a former army commander and prime minister, and to accuse the country's military, judiciary and other unelected officials of interfering in politics.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 81, is widely revered, and by tradition the utmost respect has also been extended to palace circles around him.

To issue public attacks on his top adviser is unprecedented in recent Thai history.